SMS charges: Uk to Europe, and character limit

[ofdw28]

I'm a new customer, and I've had an issue with unexpected charges for text messages. I've got nowhere with customer support, and I'm just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and managed to solve it.

There are two related issues:

1. Being charged for texts to a European mobile, which my contract says (albeit nor clearly) are included

2. Being charged for 10 messages when I only sent 4, apparently because there is a character limit (not mentioned in the contract).

1. The wording in my contract is:

Unlimited minutes and Unlimited texts to standard UK landlines and mobiles within

our Europe Zone. Calls from the UK to any other country, or any calls outside our

Europe Zone, will be charged at standard international rates.

I read the first sentence, and assumed that included calls or texts from UK to Europe. The second sentence contradicts that, though - although says nothing about texts. I can understand that they may *intend* to exclude texts from UK to Europe, but they have not explicitly stated that, and it is really a very poorly and confusingly worded statement.

2. Perhaps I am naive and everyone knows this, but I thought character limits for SMS were a thing of the past. Is this normal? Regardless, even having counted the characters, they *still* overcharged me!

Anyway, I spent most of today (really - from about 10 am to 5 pm) trying to untangle this mess on web chat. They very reluctantly agreed, eventually, to refund the extra 6 texts; then after a lot more persuasion, they refunded all the texts as a goodwill gesture. I was hoping they might offer me something by way of a gesture for the time and inconvenience spent sorting it out, but they refused and cut off my conversation whenever I asked!

If anyone else has had a similar experience, I'd be interested in hearing about it; I'm especially interested in the legal status of poorly worded contracts that are open to misinterpretation.

Thanks, and happy new year to everyone!

[pgn]

You only get free SMS to another non UK European number when roaming in Europe, @ofdw28  - SMS from UK to a European network or land line are chargeable.

The multiple costs per message will be because a longer SMS gets charged as 2 or even 3 single messages. Worse yet, it may be converted to an MMS, Guide: Accidental MMS Sending and How to Avoid it explains that.

Charges on Contract explained here: 

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/calling-abroad-standard-rates

Character limits and MMS charges are history if you use an app like WhatsApp - but both you and the other party need to be using the app (other apps exist), and you both need to have an active data connection (WiFi or cellular).

Good luck, well done getting a token refund! 👍

[Enlli]

 Perhaps I am naive and everyone knows this, but I thought character limits for SMS were a thing of the past. Is this normal? Regardless, even having counted the characters, they *still* overcharged me!

No SMS is the same ancient technology it's always been. Android users can often get round this by using the RCS standard, but there has been a slow take up. Apple, have iMessage but texting a none Apple phone gets you SMS.

Personally, I use the likes of WhatsApp for messaging to family members outside the EU

[Oxonian]

@pgn @Enlli 

What's the situation please if an O2 customer sends a SMS to either another O2 number or to another UK MNO's number - but unbeknown to the sender, the recipient of the text is overseas ? Do charges fall on the sender, the recipient, neither or both ?   

[Enlli]

@Oxonian If you text a UK number when it is abroad it simply goes as normal out of your allowance.

Receiving is always free

[MI5]

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@ofdw28 wrote:

1. The wording in my contract is:

Unlimited minutes and Unlimited texts to standard UK landlines and mobiles within

our Europe Zone. Calls from the UK to any other country, or any calls outside our

Europe Zone, will be charged at standard international rates.

---

@ofdw28 

This is correct.

You can call or text any UK number in the UK or EU without either parties incurring charges.

What you can't do is call or text an EU number from the UK without charges.

You can also call or text a UK number anywhere in the world without you receiving any charges, but the recipient will be charged for receiving calls, however, texts are free to receive anywhere.

[ofdw28]

Thanks for your reply - what you write is indeed what O2 confirm. But my gripe is really with the wording of the contract. The first sentence absolutely would include texts and calls from the UK to Europe. The second sentence contradicts this for calls, and doesn't mention texts.

I guess the issue is that whoever writes the contracts has been a bit careless in this instance.

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@MI5 wrote:

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@ofdw28 wrote:

1. The wording in my contract is:

Unlimited minutes and Unlimited texts to standard UK landlines and mobiles within

our Europe Zone. Calls from the UK to any other country, or any calls outside our

Europe Zone, will be charged at standard international rates.

---

@ofdw28 

This is correct.

You can call or text any UK number in the UK or EU without either parties incurring charges.

What you can't do is call or text an EU number from the UK without charges.

You can also call or text a UK number anywhere in the world without you receiving any charges, but the recipient will be charged for receiving calls, however, texts are free to receive anywhere.

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[MI5]

@ofdw28 

Unlimited minutes and Unlimited texts to standard UK landlines and mobiles within

our Europe Zone.

Sorry, but it is very clear in that it is UK numbers. No mention of EU numbers.

[ofdw28]

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@MI5 wrote:

@ofdw28 

Unlimited minutes and Unlimited texts to standard UK landlines and mobiles within

our Europe Zone.

Sorry, but it is very clear in that it is UK numbers. No mention of EU numbers.

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Hmm, not really:

Unlimited minutes and unlimited texts to [1] standard UK landlines and [2] mobiles within our Europe zone.

So: (1) unlimited calls to UK landlines, (obvs texts do not apply for landlines) and (2) unlimited calls & texts to European mobiles.

[gmarkj]

It reads UK landlines and mobiles.

Possibly needs a comma before within our Europe zone, but it's clear (to me) it means UK landlines and mobiles.